Adjusting mechanism for wrenches and the like



c. H. SIMERSON.

ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR WRENCHES AND THE LlKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, I920.

1,363,819. Patented Dc. 28,1920.

UNITED FFHQE.

CHARLES SIIVCUJRSON, OF UNIGH HILL, FEW JERSEY, ASSIGN'OB TO SAID SIMERSON AND FREDERICK 1-1. GOLDEABDT, G? UNION HILL, NETFI JERSEY.

ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR VJRENCHES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed January 17, 1920.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. SIMER- SON, citizen ofthe United States, residing at Union Hill, in the county of l-ludson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Adjusting Mechanism for Wrenches and the like, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new and improved adjusting mechanism for wrenches and the like particularly intended to adjust and hold a movable head or abutment with respect to a fixed head or abutment although the invention can also be applied to various mechanisms in which it is desired to adjust or to hold the movable body along the vpath of movement of the said body.

A particular embodiment of my invention is disclosed in connection with monkey wrenches or pipe or Stillson wrenches.

The screw arrangement so commonly used" in monkey wrenches is unsatisfactory because it does not permit a sufficiently delicate and ecure adjustment and holding of the movable head of the wrench, and because, even if a satisfactory adjustment is secured, if the wrench is laid down, which,

slightly jars it, the adjustment is affected.

This produces a rounding of the corners of the nuts when considerable force is enerted in turning them, so that in working upon automobiles for example, where the nuts must be tightened with great force, it is necessary to have a series of wrenches of different sizes, one size for each size of nut. According to my invention, the movable head of the wrench can be instantaneously adjusted and held with any desired degree of precision and this adjustment is not altered by shaking, jarring or laying down the wrench.

Other objects of my invention will be disclosed in the following description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof.

Figure 1 is a side view.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation.

Fig. 3 i a side elevation showing the cover of the casing of the wrench removed.

Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3 but showing the movable head of the wrench in a different position, so that it is held spaced from the fixed head of the wrench. Fig. 4.- also S ecification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 352,201.

shows what may be called the released position of the parts of the wrench, when the movable head is free to snap back against the fixed head.

Fig. 5 shows the position of parts when the wrench is engaged upon a nut or other object.

1 Fig.6 is a detail view of the holding mechanism of the wrench.

Fig. 7 is a section along the line 7-7 of g. '6. The operating parts of the wrench are located in a casing made up of a body portion 1 and a cover portion 2,'these being held together by rivets 12 and 14 or by any other suitable securing means. For convenience, the cover portion 2 may be referred to as the upper portion of the device and the parts of the holding members 23 adjacent to said cover portion may be referred to as the upper portions of said holding members.

The top of the body portion-1 has the fined head 16 secured thereto in any suitable manner.

The movable head 17 is secured to the bar 18 having one side thereof formed into a rack havim a series of teeth 19 which may be of uniform pitch, that is, uniformly spaced'from center to center. The spring 20 is secured to the lower part of the bar 18 and normally tends to pull the bar 18 toward the lower part of the body portion 1. A series of holding members 23 having teeth 22, are arranged so as to move at right an les to the bar 18.

is seen more particularly in Fig. 7, the upper part of the holding members 23 have a U-sha-pe, one side of the U-shaped member being provided with teeth 22 and the other side being provided with the cam members 21 having inclined portions 25 as seen more particularly in Figs. 8, l and 5.

As seen in Fig. 7, the bottoms'of the holding members 23 slide upon the bottom of the body portion 1 and springs 28 are provided which bear against the holding members 23, and normally urge them to the left of the position shown in Fig. 7 so as to tend to cause their teeth 22 to mesh with the teeth 19.

However, while each series of teeth on each holding member 23 preferably has a uniform pitch, the teeth of the respective holding members 23 do not occupy the same relative position with respect to their adjacent teeth 19. For example, in this embodiment, five holding members 23 are shown in the drawings and the pitch of the teeth 19 in a practical embodiment may be 1/16 of an inch.

Since there are five holding members 23 in this embodiment, the distance between the centers of the teeth 22 of the respective holding members 23 and the centers of the adjacent teeth 19, vary by 1/6& of an inch and preferably in the same direction, no matter what the position of the bar 18 may be. As can be seen in the drawings, the members 18 and 23 have spur teeth out thereon. These are superior to ratchet teeth because the ac tion is much more reliable and there is practically no danger of teeth being broken if the cutting thereof has not been properly done.

This is done by so locating the holding members 23 that the distance between the center of the top tooth of one member and the bottom tooth of the adjacent member is 1/64; of an inch greater than this distance would be if the said tooth were part of a rack having teeth of uniform pitch. In other words the five holding members 23 may be considered as a broken or mutilated rack, whose teeth are of the same thickness and contour, but, instead of being uniformly spaced are divided into series having uniformly varying spaces between them. Thus the distance between the center ofthe topteeth of the several members 23 and the bottom teeth of their adjacent members constitute an arithmetical series, a difi'erence between the members of which is 1/64 of an inch. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the bottom holding member 23 has its teeth in full engagement with the adjacent teeth 19.

In order to secure such engagement between the teeth 19 and the teeth 22 of the next member 23, it would be necessary to raise the bar 18, 1/6 1 of an inch. In order to secure the engagement between the teeth 19 and the next member 23, it would be necessary to raise the bar 18 2/ 64 of an inch and so on until in order to secure engagement between the teeth 19 and the adjacent teeth of the top member 23, it would be necessary to raise the bar 18,4164 of an inch.

The position of the holding members 23 is controlled by the cam bar 30 which is normally urged downward by the spring 31 connected to the body portion 1.

This cam bar 30 has a series of inclined portions 32 which are adapted to cooperate with the inclined portions 25 of the parts 21 as is clearly shown in Fig. 3 for example.

The cam bar 30 can be moved upwardly against the force of the spring 31, by means of the segment 36 pivoted at 4 and having the handle 5 projecting from a slot on the body portion 1.

The operation of my device is as follows The operator holds the tool in his hand and has his forefinger pressed upon the lever 5. This causes the upward movement of the cam bar 30 which brings all the holding members 23 to the inoperative position because one of the inclined portions 32 of the cam bar engages with the corresponding inclined portion of the holding member 23 in engagement with the bar 18, and forces it away and out of engagement with the said bar.

The operator can now place his thumb under the projection 40 of the movable head 17, and force this up to any desired distance, while still maintaining his pressure upon the lever 5.

He can now place an object 50 on the fixed head 16 and press upon lever 5 so that the segment 36 operates to release the holding members 23 from the teeth 22 so that the spring 20 will force the movable head 17 downwardly until it contacts with the ob ject 50.

The operator now releases the lever 5 so that the cam bar 30 is forced downwardly by the spring 31.

This admits the springs 28 to urge their respective holding members 23 so that one can engage with the adjacent teeth 19.

However, only one of the holding members 23 will so engage, this being the one whose teeth are most nearly in the meshing position. These teeth enter the spaces between the adjacent teeth 19 and the parts then assume the position shown in Fig. 3 for example.

In a practical instrument which has been thus devised, the adjustment can be made as close as 1/ 64: of an inch which is sufficient for all practical purposes, and a more fine adjustment could be secured by varying the size of the bar 18 and the number of teeth 19 thereon and the number of the holding members 23.

By making the spring20 quite light or by allowing the head 17 to descend upon the object 50 quite slowly, delicate objects can be picked up and handled without the danger of deforming or breaking them, which results when an ordinary wrench or a pair of tongs are used, and with much greater security and convenience than where small instruments dependent upon the continued pressure of the hand are used.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, but it is obvious that numerous changes and omissions could be made without departing from its spirit.

For example, in this embodiment, I have arranged the teeth 22 upon a series of holdpractical to make these holding members by the ordinary well known mechanisms, and

then to mount them in the manner indicated. The number of teeth upon each holding member 23, or in engagement with the bar 18 in any of its positions, may be varied to any number desired.

As shown more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3, the cover 2 is provided with depressions 6 upon the inside wall thereof and with holes 61. These depressions and holes fit respectively upon studs 90 and 91 connected to the part 1, so as to prevent any displacement of the parts when the monkey wrench is applied with considerable force. The studs 90 and 91 are mounted on spacing members as shown in Fig. 6 for example, which serve to guide the movement of the holding members 23 and also to keep them in spaced position.

I claim 1. In a wrench or the like, the combination of a body portion, a cover portion adapted to be secured thereto, a bar having teeth adapted to be moved to and fro in the casing formed when the said body portion and the said cover are secured together, a fixed head secured to the said body portion, a movable head secured to the said bar outside of the said body portion, a spring secured to the said bar and adapted to move it so that the said movable head will be moved toward the said fixed head, a series of holding members located in the said body portion and adapted to move at right angles to the direction of movement of the said bar, spacing and guiding means secured to the said body portion and adapted to space the said holding members and to guide their movement, springs connected to the said holding members and adapted to urge them toward the teeth of the said bar, the said holding members having teeth adjacent the teeth of the said bar and adapted to mesh with the teeth of the said bar, the distances between adjacent holding members constituting an arithmetical series the difference in two consecutive members of which is equal to the pitch of the teeth of the said bar divided by the number of holding members, the upper parts of the said holding members being of a 'U-shape, a slidable cam bar mounted in the troughs of the said U-shaped portions of the said holding members, the said cam bar having inclined cam surfaces adjacent correspondingly inclined cam surfaces of the said U-shaped surfaces of the said U-shaped portions, a spring secured to the said cam bar and adapted to move it so that its cam surfaces are moved away from the corresponding cam surfaces of the said holding members and means projecting out of the said body portion and adapted to move the said cam bar so that its cam surfaces operate to move the said holding members away from the said bar.

2. In a wrench or the like, the combination of a body portion, a cover portion adapted to be secured thereto, a bar having teeth adapted to be moved to and fro in the casing formed when the said body portion and the said cover are secured together, a fixedhead secured to the said body portion, a movable head secured to the said bar outside of the said body portion, a spring secured to the said bar and adapted to move it so that the said movable head will be moved toward the said fixed head, a series of holding members located in the said body portion and adapted to move at right angles to the direction of movement of the said bar, spacing and guiding means secured to the said body portion and adapted to space the said holding members and to guide their movement, springs connected to the said holding members and adapted to urge them toward the teeth of the said bar, the said holding members having teeth adjacent the teeth of the said bar and adapted to mesh with the teeth of the said bar, the distances between adjacent holding members constituting an arithmetical series the difference in two consecutive members of which is equal to the pitch of the teeth of the said bar divided by the number of holding members, the upper parts of the said holding members being of a U-shape, and a slidable cam bar mounted in the troughs of the said U-shaped portions of the said holding members, the said cam bar being adapted to control the positions of the said U-shaped members.

3. In a wrench or the like, the combination of a casing, a bar having teeth and adapted to be moved to and fro in the said casing, and having a head secured thereto outside of the said casing, a fixed head secured to the said casing, a spring secured to the said bar and adapted to move it so that the head on the bar. will be moved toward the said fixed head, a series of holding members located in the said body portion and adapted to move at right angles to the direction of movement'of the said bar, spacing and guiding means secured to the said body portion and adapted to space the said holding members and to guide their movement, springs connected to the said holding members and adapted to urge them toward the teeth of the said bar, the said holding members having teeth adjacent the teeth of the said bar and adapted to mesh with the teeth of the said bar, the distances between adjacent holding members constituting an arithmetical series the difference in two consecutive members of which is equal to the pitch of the teeth of the said bar divided by the number of holding members, the upper parts of the said holding members being of a U-shape, and a slidable cam bar mounted in the trough of the said U-shaped portions of the said holding members and adapted to regulate the positions of the said holding members by the movement thereof.

4. In a wrench or the like, the combination of a body portion, a series of spaced members secured thereto, a cover .portion adapted to be connected to the said body portion, a connecting means located on the said spacing members and serving to connect said body portion and said cover portion, a bar having teeth adapted to be moved to and fro in the casing formed when the said body portion and the said cover are secured together, a fixed head secured to the said body portion, a movable head secured to the said bar outside of the said body portion, a spring secured to the said bar and adapted to move it so that the said movable head will be moved toward the said fixed head, a series of holding members located in the said body portion between the said spaced members, the said holding members being adapted to move at right angles in the direction of movement of the said bar, the said holding members being guided in their said movement by the said spacing members, and means for controlling the positions of the said holding members so that one of them is always in engagement with the said bar.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

CHARLES H. SIMERSON. 

